starfish -lost legs in non-hostil tank

[froznfinn]

i guess my question is whether or not my serpentine star..lost it's legs because he was originally from a 225gal tank and sold then put in a 45 gal tank. my water conditions were ideal 1.023 salt,temp 82,ph 8.3. i currently have 1 blue damsel,1 blennie,3 green chromis and 1 clown..early evening the star came out of hiding walking it seems on all 5 legs..to feed..the next am i came home and i was shocked to see all legs shortened by about 3 inches..can anybody help..thanks

[minireefer]

It could be some sort of bacterial infection, which starfishes tend to be subject to now and then.Also do you have any hermits or other crabs int he tank.They might be the problem.

[jhnrb]

anything in tank that the animal could get its legs into like pumps. also any attact by tank mates can cause similar problems. if they get stuck also they will loose parts. and sometimes they just drop em. keep an eye on it and if it continues to eat the legs will regrow farily quickly. i have brought back a green with no legs and 1/4 of the body missing. so, keep an eye on it and see if you can tell what is going on. if no further damage occurs it will regrow the lost limbs.

[froznfinn]

thank-you..he is eating and moving in the back of the tank..it's been about 2 weeks now..and leg parts are still moving around .. should i remove these legs?

[jhnrb]

remove the parts that have dropped off if they stop moving and continue to watch to see if anything is messin with the star or if there is any mechanical damage being created.